Systems, Methods, And Computer Program Products For Providing Information Related To Virtual Environments

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for providing information related to virtual environments. One such method includes receiving user input identifying an event related to the virtual environment for which a notification is to be provided to a mobile wireless communication device. User input is also received identifying an output to be provided by the mobile wireless communication device in response to receipt of the notification. A determination is then made that the event related to the virtual environment has occurred. In response to determining that the event occurred, the mobile wireless communication device is provided with the notification, and the output identified by the user input is provided by the mobile wireless communication device.

BACKGROUND

This application relates generally to the field of telecommunications.More specifically, this application relates to systems and methods forproviding information related to virtual environments.

There are a number of computer-based environments that are continuous innature in that the status of the environment in relation to a particularuser continues to change even when the user is not activelyparticipating in the environment. Some of these computer-basedenvironments are purely virtual in nature such that the environment isentirely based on computer-generated inputs. For example, SimCity™ is acity-building virtual environment which offers a simulated cityenvironment in which the size and condition of a virtual city that aplayer builds continues to change while the player is involved in otheractivities. In addition, Second Life™ is a virtual world which allowsusers to interact with each other through avatars. In particular, auser's avatar may explore, meet other avatars, create and trade virtualproperty and services from one another, and participate in individualand group activities.

In addition to the purely virtual environments, some virtualenvironments combine computer-generated inputs with real world events.In particular, fantasy sports, such as Fantasy Football, allow aparticipant to draft, acquire, and trade a team of real-life players,such as real-life National Football League™ players, and to score pointsbased on those players' statistical performances on the actual field.

Other virtual environments include a virtual embodiment and a physicalembodiment. In particular, Webkinz™ includes a virtual environment knownas Webkinz World™ and a physical embodiment in the form of a plush toy.The Webkinz™ plush toy comes with a code which can be used to access theWebkinz World™ which is a virtual environment where a user can adopt avirtual pet, care for and interact with the virtual pet, and interactwith other users. For example, the Webkinz™ owner may provide virtualfood to her virtual pet by providing appropriate user input via a Webbrowser.

Many players access a continuous computer-based environment severaltimes a day to check on the status of the environment. For example,players may access simulation games to determine the status of and/or tointeract with a Webkinz™ virtual pet or a SimCity™ virtual city.Accessing a virtual environment too many times during a given day can betime consuming and may interfere with a player's other activities, suchas a player's job.

SUMMARY

Systems, methods, and computer program products for providinginformation related to virtual environments are disclosed. Exemplaryembodiments include receiving user input identifying an event related tothe virtual environment for which a notification is to be provided to amobile wireless communication device. User input is also receivedidentifying an output to be provided by the mobile wirelesscommunication device in response to receipt of the notification. Adetermination is then made that the event related to the virtualenvironment has occurred. In response to determining that the eventoccurred, the mobile wireless communication device is provided with thenotification, and the output identified by the user input is alsoprovided by the mobile wireless communication device.

Other systems, methods, and/or computer program products according toembodiments will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art uponreview of the following drawings and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, and/or computerprogram products be included within this description, be within thescope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanyingclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication system comprisingmobile wireless communication devices (MWCDs), in accordance withexemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 2-4 are flow charts illustrating exemplary methods for notifying auser of a MWCD that an event or condition associated with a virtualenvironment or character has occurred;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a graphicaluser interface for receiving user input related to notification to beprovided to a MWCD; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a notification server, inaccordance with exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is directed to methods, systems, andcomputer-readable media for providing information related to virtualenvironments. In the following detailed description, references are madeto the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which areshown by way of exemplary embodiments and implementations.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication system 10, inaccordance with exemplary embodiments. The communication system 10includes a notification server 17, a mobile wireless network 18, andmobile wireless communication devices (MWCDs) 14. The MWCDs 14 areconfigured to communicate using a mobile wireless technology such as,for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or UniversalMobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Note that one or more of theMWCDs 14 may be dual mode user equipment (UE) capable of communicatingvia both a wireless local area network (LAN) technology (e.g., WiFi) anda mobile wireless technology. Note that although only three of the MWCDs14 are shown in FIG. 1, there may be fewer or additional MWCDs 14 in anotification area 19. For example, there may be tens, hundreds, or eventhousands of the MWCDs 14 in the notification area 19.

The MWCDs 14 may be located within the notification area 19 or remotelyfrom each other. The notification area 19 may be determined based on,for example, an area within a particular distance from a certain object,premises, or location. The notification area 19 may additionally oralternatively correspond to a certain premises such as, for example, ashopping mall, a theme park, a hospital, a school, a building, or to acombination of premises. A determination as to whether the MWCD 14 useris within the notification area 19 may be based on a location technologysuch as, for example, global positioning system (GPS), Cell-ID, EnhancedCell-ID, and/or time difference of arrival (TDOA).

According to exemplary embodiments, the notification server 17 providesnotification to the MWCDs 14 via the mobile wireless network 18. Thenotification may be specific to a virtual character or environment ofinterest to the users of the MWCDs 14. For example, a notification maybe sent regarding changes in status of a virtual character in acomputer-implemented game. The MWCD 14 may receive different forms ofcommunications from the notification server 17, including, but notlimited to text messages, voice message, and electronic mail.

The notification server 17 may provide the MWCD 14 with notificationthat is based on information received by the notification server 17 froma remote source, such as an information source 16. The informationsource 16 may be, for example, a user computer, a server, a mobilephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any other informationsource capable of providing the notification server 17 with informationregarding a virtual character or environment.

According to exemplary embodiments, the notification provided by thenotification server 17 may be based on whether the MWCD 14 is in thenotification area 19. For example, if the MWCD 14 user has a stuffedanimal that corresponds to a computer-enabled virtual pet for which theMWCD 14 user is registered, then the user may be notified regardingevents, places, or people in the notification area 19 that are relevantto the user's computer-enabled virtual pet. As a more specific example,the notification server 17 may notify the MWCD 14 user that another MWCD14 user registered as having another computer-enabled virtual pet iscurrently in the notification area 19.

In accordance with exemplary embodiments, the notification server 17tracks the location of the MWCD 14 to determine if the MWCD 14 is withinthe notification area 19. The notification server 17 may also determinewhether the MWCD 14 is associated with a virtual environment. If thenotification server 17 determines that the MWCD 14 is associated with avirtual environment, then the notification server 17 determines whetherother devices, such as other MWCDs 14, located in the notification area19 are also associated with the virtual environment. A back officeserver (BOS) (not shown in FIG. 1) may provide the notification server17 with contact information for the other MWCDs 14. The notificationserver 17 includes a notification server application 322 for providingnotifications, described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method 20 for enablingnotification specific to a virtual environment/character (e.g., acomputer-implemented game), according to exemplary embodiments. Asindicated at step 21, the notification server 17 receives informationregarding conditions or events related to a virtualenvironment/character for which a user of the MWCD 14 would like to benotified. The MWCD 14 user may define conditions or events related to avirtual environment/character under which the user is to be notifiedusing a graphical user interface 50 as illustrated in FIG. 5 anddescribed further herein. The MWCD 14 user may also identify a type ofoutput that the MWCD should provide when a notification related to aparticular virtual environment/character associated with the MWCD isreceived from the notification server 17 using the graphical userinterface 50. For example, the user may choose to be notified whenplayers are being traded in the user's Fantasy Football league and maychoose that the MWCD 14 of the user flash a particular color, such asred, when such notifications are received from the notification server17. As discussed above, Fantasy Football is a game in which users selectactual football players from a certain football league to be included intheir respective Fantasy Football teams. Alternately, or in addition,the user may choose to be notified when a virtual natural disaster, suchas flooding, occurs in a SimCity™ game environment, or when a virtualversion of a toy, such as Webkinz™, needs some form of attention such asfeeding, playing with, or exercising. The notification server 17 maystore the received information regarding virtual environment/characterconditions or events for which a user of the MWCD 14 has requested to benotified and the types of outputs to be provided by the MWCD in responseto the notifications in a mass storage device 310 of the notificationserver or in a database located remotely from the notification server.

From step 21, the method 20 proceeds to step 22, where the notificationserver 17 receives information regarding the occurrence of conditions orevents related to a virtual environment/character from the informationsource 16. The information source 16 may either be configured to hostthe virtual environment/character or may be configured to receiveinformation regarding the virtual environment/character from anothersource such as a server or a user computer. For example, thenotification server 17 may receive information that a specific player ina user's Fantasy Football league is traded, that a flood has damaged auser's virtual building in the SimCity™ game, or that the virtualversion of a Webkinz™ needs feeding. The notification server 17 may, forexample, provide a request to the information source 16 for informationregarding any occurrence of the user-defined conditions or eventsassociated with the virtual environment/character. The request providedby the notification server 17 may include information identifying theconditions or events for which a user of the MWCD 14 desiresnotification and identification information associated with the userand/or the MWCD 14 of the user. Additionally or alternatively, theinformation source 16 may provide information regarding occurrences ofconditions or events associated with a virtual environment/character tothe notification server 17 at predetermined times, time intervals, orresponsive to the occurrence of the user-defined condition or event.

The method 20 then proceeds to step 23, where the notification server 17determines whether the information regarding the occurrence ofconditions or events related to a virtual environment/character receivedfrom the information source 16 is relevant to any user-definedconditions or events for which a user of the MWCD 14 has requestednotification. For instance, the notification server 17 may determinewhether the information source 16 has indicated, in response to thenotification server's request, that a condition or event related to avirtual environment/character for which a user of the MWCD 14 hasrequested notification has occurred. The notification server 17 may alsocompare the information regarding the occurrence of conditions or eventsreceived from the information source 16 with the user-defined conditionsor events for which a user of the MWCD 14 has requested notification todetermine whether the received information matches any of theuser-defined conditions or events. If the notification server 17determines that the information regarding the occurrence of conditionsor events related to a virtual environment/character received from theinformation source 16 is not relevant to any user-defined conditions orevents for which a user of the MWCD 14 has requested notification, thenthe method 20 proceeds back to step 22. On the other hand, if thenotification server 17 determines that the information regarding theoccurrence of conditions or events is relevant to a user-definedcondition or event for which a user of the MWCD 14 has requestednotification, then the method 20 proceeds to step 24.

At step 24, the notification server 17 provides a notification to theMWCD 14 that the condition or event associated with the virtualenvironment/character for which the user of the MWCD 14 requestednotification has occurred. The notification server 17 may provide anytype of message to the MWCD 14 to notify a user of the MWCD of theoccurrence of the condition or event such as, for example, a textmessage, an electronic mail message, a telephone message, or any othertype of message for which the MWCD is capable of receiving. In responseto receiving the message from the notification server 17 of theoccurrence of the condition or event, the MWCD 14 may display themessage from the notification server 17 regarding the occurrence of thecondition or event associated with the virtual environment. For example,the MWCD 14 may display a text message from the notification server 17that a Fantasy Football trade for which the user of the MWCD requestedto be notified has occurred. According to exemplary embodiments, thenotification server 17 uses information provided by a user of the MWCD14 via the graphical user interface 50 to determine contact informationfor where to send the message, format information for how to send themessage, and timing information for when to send the information, asdiscussed further below with regard to FIG. 5.

In addition, the MWCD 14 may provide an output other than, or inaddition to, the message provided by the notification server 17. Forexample, in response to receiving a message from the notification server17 that a Fantasy Football trade for which the user of the MWCD 14requested notification has occurred, the MWCD 14 may flash red on theMWCD's display, display a smiley face on the display, or may provide asound specified by the user of the MWCD to be played upon receipt of anotification from the notification server 17. It should be understood bythose skilled in the art that the MWCD 14 may provide any type ofvisual, audio, tactile, or other type of sensory output in response toreceiving a notification from the notification server 17 that acondition or event associated with a virtual environment/character forwhich the user of the MWCD has requested notification has occurred. Fromstep 24, the method 20 proceeds to step 25, where the method ends.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a flow chart illustrating an exemplary embodimentof a method 30 for providing notification to the MWCDs 14 associatedwith similar virtual environments/characters that are within apredetermined distance from one another and/or within the notificationarea 19 is provided. As indicated in step 31, the notification server 17determines that a first MWCD, such as the MWCD 14, associated with atype of virtual environment/character is within a predetermined distancefrom or in the same notification area 19 as a second MWCD, such as theMWCD 14, associated with the same type of virtual environment/character.For example, the notification server 17 may determine that two MWCDs,such as the first and second MWCDs 14, are associated with the virtualversion of the same Webkinz™ toy and are in the same building, or thatthe first and second MWCDs 14 are associated with the Second Life™ gameand are within a predetermined distance of each other. The notificationserver 17 may determine that the first and second MWCDs 14 are in acertain area, such as the notification area 19, based on informationreceived from the first and second MWCDs. For example, the first andsecond MWCDs 14 may be GPS enabled and capable of identifying thelongitude and latitude coordinates of the first and second MWCDs, and/orthe first and second MWCDs may determine their respective locationsusing triangulation.

The notification server 17 may request location information from thefirst and second MWCDs 14 using contact information corresponding to thefirst and second MWCDs stored in the mass storage device 310 of thenotification server. The contact information corresponding to the firstand second MWCDs 14 may be provided to the mass storage device 310 by aback officer server (BOS). For example, a user of the first MWCD 14 mayprovide contact information corresponding to the first MWCD to a companyoperating the BOS when the first MWCD user registers with the company toreceive notification related to virtual environments/characters.Alternatively or additionally, the first MWCD 14 may provide thenotification server 17 with location information at predetermined timeintervals and/or responsive to moving into or out of the notificationarea 19.

The notification server 17 and/or the first MWCD 14 may determine thatthe first MWCD is within the notification area 19 by comparingcoordinates corresponding to the first MWCD with coordinatescorresponding to the notification area. The coordinates defining thenotification area 19 may be stored in the notification server 17, in aremote database accessed by the notification server via the network 18,and/or in the first MWCD 14. According to exemplary embodiments, thenotification server 17 may determine if the first MWCD 14 is within apredetermined distance of the second MWCD 14 by comparing locationinformation, such as coordinates, associated with the first MWCD withcoordinates associated with the second MWCD to determine a distancebetween the two devices and then comparing the determined distancebetween the two devices with the predetermined distance, which may bestored in the notification server.

Once the notification server 17 determines that the first MWCD 14 iswithin the notification area 19 or that the first and second MWCDs arewithin a predetermined distance of one another, the notification serverdetermines whether the first MWCD within the notification area isassociated with a virtual environment/character that is the same as, orsimilar to, a virtual environment/character associated with anotherMWCD, such as the second MWCD, in the notification area or that thefirst and second MWCDs within the predetermined distance of one anotherare associated with the same, or similar, virtual environment/character.To determine a virtual environment/character associated with the firstand second MWCDs 14, the notification server 17 may receiveidentification information from the first and second MWCDs and comparethe identification information associated with the first and secondMWCDs with identification information stored at the notification serverto determine the virtual environments/characters corresponding to theidentification information. As further discussed in view of FIG. 5,users of the first and second MWCDs 14 may use the graphical userinterface 50 to provide identification information and a virtualenvironment/character associated with the first and second MWCDs.

When the notification server 17 determines that the first MWCD 14 withinthe notification area 19 is associated with a virtualenvironment/character that is the same as, or similar to, a virtualenvironment/character associated with the second MWCD in thenotification area or that the first and second MWCDs within thepredetermined distance of one another are associated with the same, orsimilar, virtual environment/character, the method 30 proceeds to step32 where the notification sever notifies the first MWCD of the secondMWCD within the notification area and/or within a predetermined distanceof the first MWCD. According to exemplary embodiments, the notificationserver 17 notifies the first MWCD 14 of the second MWCD 14 by providinga notification message to the first MWCD that the second MWCD is withinthe notification area 19 or within a predetermined distance from thefirst MWCD and is associated with a same or similar virtualenvironment/character. The notification message may identify the virtualenvironment/character which the first and second MWCDs 14 have incommon. For example, the first MWCD 14 associated with a virtual versionof a Webkinz™ toy may receive a text message indicating that the secondMWCD 14 user associated with a virtual version of the same Webkinz™ toyis in the same building.

Also, the notification message may include contact informationassociated with the second MWCD 14 if the second MWCD has authorized thenotification server 17 to provide the contact information associatedwith the second MWCD to other MWCDs. For example, the first MWCD 14associated with Second Life™ may receive a text message containing thephone number of the second MWCD 14 also associated with Second Life™ andlocated within a predetermined distance of the first MWCD. If the secondMWCD 14 has not authorized the notification server 17 to provide contactinformation to other MWCDs, the notification server 17 may contact thesecond MWCD and request authorization from the second MWCD to providecontact information associated with the second MWCD to the first MWCD14. If the first MWCD 14 has authorized the notification server 17 toprovide contact information associated with the first MWCD to otherMWCDs, the notification server 17 may send a notification message to thesecond MWCD 14 including the contact information associated with thefirst MWCD and indicating that the first MWCD is within the notificationarea 19 or within a predetermined distance from the second MWCD. Thenotification server 17 may provide any type of message to the firstand/or second MWCDs 14 to notify the user of the first and/or secondMWCDs of the existence of the MWCDs within the same notification area 19or within a predetermined distance of one another such as, for example,a text message, an electronic mail message, a telephone message, or anyother type of message for which the MWCDs are capable of receiving. Themethod 30 then proceeds to step 33, where the method ends.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 40 for enablingnotification based on a virtual environment or character, according toexemplary embodiments. As indicated in box 41, the notification server17 determines that a condition or activity corresponding to a type ofvirtual environment/character is within a predetermined distance from orin the same notification area 19 as a MWCD, such as the MWCD 14,associated with the same type of virtual environment/character. Forexample, a user of the MWCD 14 may be shopping in a mall where there isa sale on team paraphernalia relating to the user's Fantasy Footballteam for which the MWCD 14 is associated, or the MWCD is associated withSecond Life™ and the user of the MWCD is passing near a gaming industryconvention.

The notification server 17 may receive information about a virtualenvironment/character condition or activity from the information source16 or any other available information source capable of providing suchinformation. The information regarding the virtual environment/charactercondition or activity may include information about what the conditionor activity is, such as a sale corresponding to a particular type ofvirtual character or a convention regarding a particular type of virtualenvironment; a type of virtual environment/character corresponding tothe condition or activity; and a location of the condition or activity,such as coordinates or an address associated with the location. Thenotification server 17 may determine that a condition or activitycorresponding to a type of virtual environment/character is within apredetermined distance from or in the same notification area 19 as theMWCD 14 associated with the same or similar type of virtualenvironment/character by comparing coordinates corresponding to the MWCDwith coordinates corresponding to the condition or activity.

If a determination is made that the MWCD 14 associated with a type ofvirtual environment/character is within the notification area 19 or apredetermined distance of a virtual environment/character condition oractivity associated with the same type of virtual environment/character,the method 40 proceeds to step 42 where the notification server 17notifies the MWCD 14 of the condition or activity. According toexemplary embodiments, the notification server 17 notifies the MWCD 14of the virtual environment/character condition or activity by providinga notification message to the MWCD that the condition or activity iswithin the notification area 19 or within a predetermined distance fromthe MWCD and is associated with a same or similar virtualenvironment/character. The notification message may include informationregarding what the condition or activity is, the type of virtualenvironment/character corresponding to the condition or activity, and/orthe location of the condition or activity. For example, while at theshopping mall, a user of the MWCD 14 associated with a Fantasy Footballteam may receive a voice message at the MWCD notifying the user of theMWCD of a sale in a nearby store relating to the same Fantasy Footballteam. As another example, the MWCD 14 associated with Second Life™ mayreceive a text message regarding a gaming industry convention associatedwith Second Life™ when the MWCD is within a predetermined distance fromthe convention. The notification server 17 may provide any type ofmessage to the MWCD 14 to notify the user of the MWCD of the existenceof a condition or activity related to a virtual environment/characterassociated with the MWCD that is within the same notification area 19 orwithin a predetermined distance of the MWCD such as, for example, a textmessage, an electronic mail message, a telephone message, or any othertype of message for which the MWCD is capable of receiving. The method40 then proceeds to step 43, where the method ends.

Note that the methods 20, 30, 40 depicted in the exemplary flow chartsdescribed above may be modified to include fewer, additional, and/ordifferent steps within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, stepsdepicted in the flow charts may be performed out of the order shownincluding substantially concurrently, in reverse order, or in asubstantially different order.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of the graphical user interface 50 forreceiving input related to notification services to be provided to aMWCD, such as the MWCD 14. According to exemplary embodiments, thegraphical user interface 50 is provided by the notification server 17and includes a preference selection area 51 for receiving user inputspecifying user preferences associated with the notification servicesprovided by the notification server. The preference selection area 51may include various menus, selection boxes, selection buttons, and/orentry fields for specifying user preference. The preference selectionarea 51 of the interface 50 may include an environment/character field52 for receiving input identifying a virtual environment/character forwhich a user of the MWCD 14 is to be notified of the happening ofconditions or events related to the virtual environment/character. Thepreference selection area 51 may also include a condition/event field 53for receiving input defining the conditions or events related to thevirtual environment/character identified in the environment/characterfield 52 for which the user is to be notified. For example, a user ofthe MWCD 14 may enter input in the character/environment field 52identifying the ATLANTA FALCONS and Fantasy Football and input in thecondition/event field 53 indicating player trades. Therefore, if a tradeof a player associated with the ATLANTA FALCONS occurs in the FantasyFootball environment, the notification server 17 would send anotification message to the MWCD 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the preference selection area 51 may includean identification information field 54 for receiving input thatidentifies the MWCD 14, such as a telephone number, email address, orother unique identifier associated with the MWCD, and/or input thatuniquely identifies a user of the MWCD. As discussed above, thenotification server 17 may compare identification information receivedfrom the MWCD 14 with identification information corresponding to theMWCD input via the identification information field 54 to determine thevirtual environments/characters associated with the MWCD 14. Thepreference selection area 51 may further include a contact informationfield 59 for receiving contact information corresponding to the MWCD 14,such as a telephone number, electronic mail address, and/or any otherinformation, that can be used to contact the MWCD. As discussed above,the contact information may be used by the notification server 17 tosend a notification to the MWCD 14 of the occurrence of conditions orevents corresponding to a virtual environment/character associated withthe MWCD, the existence of another MWCD within the same notificationarea 19 or within a predetermined distance of the MWCD, and/or virtualenvironment/character conditions or activities within the samenotification area 19 as the MWCD or within a predetermined distance ofthe MWCD. The contact information may also be used by other MWCDs 14associated with the same or similar virtual environments/characters asthe MWCD to contact the MWCD.

According to exemplary embodiments, the preference selection area 51also includes fields, such as a notification output field 55, anotification format field 56, and a notification time field 57, forreceiving input related to when and how a user of the MWCD 14 is to benotified by the notification server 17. Input may be provided via thenotification output field 55 indicating a type of output the MWCD 14should provide based on the type and/or content of the notificationmessage received by the MWCD from the notification server 17. Forexample, a user of the MWCD 14 may specify that the MWCD flash a redlight when a notification is received from the notification server 17that a virtual version of a Webkinz™ toy's health has dropped below athreshold. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thetype of output selected by a user corresponding to receiving anotification from the notification server 17 may include any visual,auditory, or tactile output for which the MWCD 14 is capable ofproducing.

The notification format field 56 may receive input specifying the formof notification message, such as text message, voice message, and/orelectronic mail message, to be used by the notification server 17 tonotify a user of the MWCD 14 of an occurrence related to a virtualenvironment/character associated with the MWCD. By providing input viathe notification format field 56, the user may also be able to specifydifferent forms of notification to be provided to the MWCD 14 based onthe condition or event related to the virtual environment/character thathas occurred and/or whether another MWCD associated with the samevirtual environment/character or a condition/activity associated withthe same virtual environment/character is determined to be within thesame notification area 19 or pre-determined distance as the MWCD. Forexample, a user of the MWCD 14 may indicate that a text message beprovided if a virtual version of a Webkinz™ toy is hungry and a voicemessage be provided if the virtual version of the Webkinz™ toy is sad.

In addition, input may be provided via the notification time field 57specifying when a user of the MWCD 14 is to receive notifications fromthe notification server 17. For example, the user may specify whetherthe notification is to be received substantially immediately after theoccurrence of a condition or event associated with a virtualenvironment/character or whether the notification is to be received atpredetermined times or time intervals.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that preferencesmay be input using the graphical user interface 50 for each virtualenvironment or character associated with one or more of the MWCDs 14 forwhich a user requests notification. Accordingly, a user may select tohave notifications regarding a first virtual environment or charactersent to a first MWCD, such as the MWCD 14, and notifications regarding asecond virtual environment or character sent to a second MWCD. Thus, theuser may use the graphical user interface 50 to provide customizedpreferences for each virtual environment or character associated withone or more of the MWCDs 14 of the user.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the notification server 17, inaccordance with exemplary embodiments. The notification server 17includes a central processing unit (CPU) 302, a system memory 308,including a random access memory (RAM) 314 and a read-only memory (ROM)316, and a system bus 304 that couples the memory 308 to the CPU 302. Abasic input/output system containing the basic routines that help totransfer information between elements within the notification server 17,such as during startup, is stored in the ROM 316. The notificationserver 17 further includes a mass storage device, such as the massstorage device 310, for storing an operating system 320 and otherprogram modules, which will be described in greater detail below.

The mass storage device 310 is connected to the CPU 302 through a massstorage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 304. The massstorage device 310 and its associated computer-readable media providenon-volatile storage for the notification server 17. Although thedescription of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a massstorage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable media canbe any available media that can be accessed by the notification server17.

By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media mayinclude volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. For example, computer-readable media includes, but is notlimited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid statememory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), HD-DVD,BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to store the desired information and which canbe accessed by the notification server 17.

The notification server 17 may connect to a network, such as the network18, through a network interface unit 306 connected to the bus 304. Itshould be appreciated that the network interface unit 306 may also beutilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computersystems. The notification server 17 may also include an input/outputcontroller 312 for receiving and processing input from a number of otherdevices, including a keyboard, mouse, or electronic stylus (not shown inFIG. 6). Similarly, the input/output controller 312 may provide outputto a display screen, a printer, or other type of output device (also notshown in FIG. 6).

As mentioned briefly above, a number of program modules and data filesmay be stored in the mass storage device 310 and RAM 314 of thenotification server 17, including the operating system 320 suitable forcontrolling the operation of the notification server 17. The massstorage device 310 and RAM 314 may also store one or more programmodules. In particular, the mass storage device 310 and the RAM 314 maystore a notification server application 322 configured to providenotifications and information related to virtual environments/charactersto the MWCDs 14. The notifications and information related to virtualenvironments/characters, which may include image, text, and/or voicedata, may be provided via, for example, electronic mail messages, textmessages, and/or voice messages. Other program modules may also bestored in the mass storage device 310 and utilized by the notificationserver 17.

According to exemplary embodiments, the notification server application322 provides notification to the MWCD 14 via the mobile wireless network18. According to exemplary embodiments, the notification is specific toa virtual character or environment of interest to the user of the MWCD14. For example, notification may be sent to the MWCD 14 regardingchanges in status of a virtual character in a computer-implemented game.According to exemplary embodiments, a notification client application 15of the MWCD 14 may receive the notification from the notification serverapplication 332 of the notification server 17 and provide an output viathe MWCD based on a particular output indicated by a user of the MWCDvia the notification output field 55 of the graphical user interface 50.The notification server application 332 may provide different forms ofcommunications to the notification client application 15 including, butnot limited to, text messages, voice message, and electronic mail.

The notification server application 322 may provide the MWCD 14 withnotification that is based on information received by the notificationserver 17 from a remote source, such as the information source 16. Theinformation source 16 may be, for example, a user computer, a server, amobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any otherinformation source capable of providing the notification application 322with information regarding a virtual character or environment.

The notification server application 322 may store informationidentifying characters, conditions, and/or events for which the MWCD 14user desires notification in the mass storage device 310 or in adatabase located remotely from the notification server 17 and accessiblevia the network 18. Such information may be provided by a user of theMWCD via, for example, the graphical user interface 50 (FIG. 5). Thegraphical user interface 50 may be provided by either the informationsource 16 or the notification server application 322, depending on adesired implementation. Furthermore, the graphical user interface 50 maybe accessed by the MWCD 14 user via the MWCD or via another device suchas a desktop or notebook computer. As discussed above, aspects of thenotification specified by the user via the graphical user interface 50may include, for example, the format of the notification, contactinformation for the MWCD 14, and/or the type of output corresponding tothe notification received from the notification server 17.

Although the subject matter presented herein has been described inconjunction with one or more particular embodiments and implementations,it is to be understood that the embodiments defined in the appendedclaims are not necessarily limited to the specific structure,configuration, or functionality described herein. Rather, the specificstructure, configuration, and functionality are disclosed as exampleforms of implementing the claims. Various modifications and changes maybe made to the subject matter described herein without following theexample embodiments and applications illustrated and described, andwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the embodiments,which is set forth in the following claims.

1. A method for providing information related to a virtual environment, comprising: receiving user input identifying an event related to the virtual environment for which a notification is to be provided to a mobile wireless communication device; receiving user input identifying an output to be provided by the mobile wireless communication device in response to receipt of the notification, the output corresponding to the event; determining that the event related to the virtual environment has occurred; and responsive to determining that the event has occurred, providing the mobile wireless communication device with the notification such that the output is provided by the mobile wireless communication device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the event related to the virtual environment has occurred is based on information received from a remote source.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote source comprises at least one of a user computer, a server, a mobile wireless communication device, and a personal digital assistant.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the mobile wireless communication device is within a notification area; if the mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, determining whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within the notification area; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, then providing information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within a predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device, then providing information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is related to a virtual character in a computer implemented game.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output comprises at least one of a ring-tone, a color, an image, and a vibration.
 8. A system for providing information related to a virtual environment, comprising: a processor; and memory comprising instructions to be executed by the processor, wherein the instructions are configured to enable the system to: receive user input identifying an event related to the virtual environment for which a notification is to be provided to a mobile wireless communication device, receive user input identifying an output to be provided by the mobile wireless communication device in response to receipt of the notification, the output corresponding to the event, determine that the event related to the virtual environment has occurred, and responsive to determining that the event has occurred, provide the mobile wireless communication device with the notification such that the output is provided by the mobile wireless communication device.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the event has occurred is based on information received from a remote source.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the remote source comprises at least one of a user computer, a server, a mobile wireless communication device, and a personal digital assistant.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further configured to enable the system to: determine whether the mobile wireless communication device is within a notification area; if the mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, determine whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within the notification area; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, then provide information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 12. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further configured to enable the system to: determine whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within a predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device, then provide information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 13. The system of claim 8, wherein the event is related to a virtual character in a computer implemented game.
 14. The system of claim 8, wherein the output comprises at least one of a ring-tone, a color, an image, and a vibration.
 15. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to provide a method for providing information related to a virtual environment, the method comprising: receiving user input identifying an event related to the virtual environment for which a notification is to be provided to a mobile wireless communication device; receiving user input identifying an output to be provided by the mobile wireless communication device in response to receipt of the notification, the output corresponding to the event; determining that the event related to the virtual environment has occurred; and responsive to determining that the event has occurred, providing the mobile wireless communication device with the notification such that the output is provided by the mobile wireless communication device.
 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the event has occurred is based on information received from a remote source.
 17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising: determining whether the mobile wireless communication device is within a notification area; if the mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, determining whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within the notification area; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the notification area, then providing information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising: determining whether another mobile wireless communication device associated with the virtual environment is within a predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device; and if the another mobile wireless communication device is within the predetermined distance of the mobile wireless communication device, then providing information regarding the another mobile wireless communication device to the mobile wireless communication device.
 19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the event is related to a virtual character in a computer implemented game.
 20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the output comprises at least one of a ring-tone, a color, an image, and a vibration. 